Golden Heart
by Crystal Kira
Summary: The great Phantom Thief Grey has got his eyes on the Vargas family's famed Golden Heart Diamond- but who says he can't have some fun and try stealing another golden heart as well? Dealing with Feliciano Vargas caused him trouble in the long run, especially when it comes to his most important, secret goal. He really needs to stop flirting on the job. EngIta Phantom Thief AU.
1. Theft

**A/N: So, my mind has been running rampant with many different plot bunnies, and it's making it hard to focus on one thing. So I'll just write for each story as I feel the moods for them, and then switch between updates on my fics.**

**Enjoy my newest plot bunny: EngIta Phantom Thief AU! Just a warning: The rating WILL go up! Expect a sex scene next chapter.**

* * *

Arthur caught sight of it only briefly, the gold chain peeking out from under the collar of the other man's shirt when he leaned forward to shake his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" the amber-eyed Italian greeted him, shaking his hand enthusiastically. "Nonno's been fussing over us meeting, I think he wants us to get along so your father feels more open to a business deal… Ah! I said too much," he laughed, cheeks pinking. "I'm Feliciano Vargas."

"Arthur Kirkland," he introduced himself, "And don't worry, it's not the first time. Although _usually_, people go for my oldest brother, not me." He quirked an eyebrow- this one definitely was interesting. He was much more bubbly and playful and honest than the other businessmen he had to deal with on a regular basis.

(It was stifling, dealing with them! He was glad he wasn't the one inheriting the company. He'd much rather be left alone to his own devices.)

Feliciano smiled. "You're closer to my age, so you're less scary to talk to," he said rather honestly, before raising a hand high over his head in a wave. "Oh, oh, nonno's here. Come on, Arthur," he urged, grabbing Arthur's hand and pulling him along.

"Oi- hey, wait a minute- we've only just met, where are we going?"

"Away from my grandfather! He'll be fussing if he sees us together at the party," Feliciano laughed.

"I thought he _wanted_ you to approach me?"

"Exactly! He'll start pressuring you to talk to your dad if he sees us. So~ Let's go over here," the Italian insisted, pulling him through to a busier part of the ballroom, out of Romulus Vargas's line of sight. "So! I'm surprised you're here, rumors say you never come to all these parties," Feliciano chirped curiously, eyes glinting in the light from the chandeliers hanging overhead.

"Ah, er…. Well, you see, I was actually hoping to catch a glimpse of the Golden Heart. I heard your grandfather was bringing it in from his other estate today," Arthur hummed a little, watching Feliciano's collar carefully. He plucked up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray, and sipped at it, waiting for Feliciano's reply.

"Ah, that! Si, nonno mentioned that. There's always a lot of fuss when it gets moved, so I'm not surprised you heard," Feliciano hummed. "But no one outside the family or household's allowed to see it, for safety reasons. It'll be safe in a vault~" he said airly, waving his hand dismissively. "Dispiace. I know a lot of people want to see it. It's really pretty," Feliciano enthused. "Ve… but I guess that means you came for nothing. Dispiace," he said again, this time looking apologetic, his big shining eyes briefly catching Arthur off-guard.

_He's rather cute,_ Arthur thought briefly, the younger man, before he was distracted by that glint of gold again.

That thick, heavy gold chain around Feliciano's neck… It was hidden under his clothes.

What was hiding there?

Arthur scanned the room briefly as he took another sip of champagne, searching for an opportunity. He drained the glass, setting the empty glass on another passing tray as he continued to look… There had to be a way… ah! There!

As a waiter approached, he made sure to keep his back to him. "This is quite good champagne, would you like me to get you a glass?" Arthur offered, and Feliciano seemed surprised.

"I'd like it, grazie," Feliciano murmured, looking a little startled. Apparently, he wasn't used to these kinds of little courtesies.

Pity.

Arthur timed his turn _just_ right- so that when he stepped forward, he nearly ran right into the waiter. But he timed it perfectly, stumbling back with practiced ease and instead falling with his back against Feliciano's chest.

"L-Look out!" Feliciano squeaked, stepping back but grabbing Arthur's shoulders to steady him- although Arthur's back still crashed rather hard against Feliciano's chest.

And _ow_, it hurt!

Whatever Feliciano had under his shirt just jabbed into his back and that was _really_not something he wanted to relive.

With the excuse in hand, though, Arthur quickly straightened up and groaned, rubbing his back for emphasis. "Ack, sorry about that… Blimey, what've you got on you? Something just jabbed me hard on the spine," he complained, the wince very much real.

Feliciano looked incredibly apologetic, starting to babble. "Sorry! I didn't mean to! When you fell, I couldn't catch you in time… It must've been my necklace," Feliciano rushed out, pulling up on the chain. At the bottom of the loop hung a rather large golden egg, plain in design, with no real ornament to it. It appeared to be solid gold, bigger than Arthur's fist.

Feliciano seemed in pain too, and Arthur realized his fall had made the egg press hard against Feliciano's sternum, too. "I'm sorry, I should've been more careful," Arthur murmured, his sympathy genuine. "If you're still up for the champagne, I'll fetch it for you."

The Italian smiled. "Per favore," he murmured, and Arthur flashed a smile at him and slipped away.

The egg was solid gold, but not something he was interested in.

How to reach that diamond, though…

The youngest brother, Valentino Vargas, wasn't of much use, and Arthur had already tried asking the oldest Vargas brother Lovino- but the oldest was more abrasive and not willing to talk with him much. And now, Feliciano, the middle brother, didn't seem to know much about the diamond either… None of their sisters were approachable at the moment.

At this rate, he'd have to slip around Romulus and listen in, and hope he'd drop a better hint of how to find the vault. He could do a bit of sneaking around, too, but that should be reserved for later. The party was going to reach a peak at around eleven PM, meaning he'd have the most cover then. At least if this went like most Vargas parties, which it would, by his calculations.

He walked around the room, getting a better feel of the place, peeking out doors down hallways and making a mental map. He'd already scouted and memorized the blueprints for the place, but it helped to see things himself.

He returned to Feliciano a few minutes later with a glass of champagne, only to find Romulus with an arm over Feliciano's shoulder as the old man boasted to some other companions of his.

Romulus's voice was booming and proud, easy to hear over the din of the party. "Ahaha! And so I said, I might have the Golden Heart, but it's Feliciano here with a heart of gold!" he said, apparently finishing off an amusing story, since the other men nearby laughed and Feliciano turned a bright pink and laughed as well.

"Nonno," Feliciano whined, flustered. "You always tell that story. I'm not that great," he said humbly, but Romulus only ruffled up his grandson's hair and laughed again.

"And that's exactly what I'm talking about, gentlemen! I'm glad Feliciano won't be the one inheriting the business. He's sweet, he doesn't need to be made jaded by all this business," he said, with a dismissive wave. Arthur caught sight of the way Feliciano bristled briefly at those words. "Oh? Is that Arthur Kirkland?"

Arthur mentally cursed when Romulus noticed him, but he put on a smile and stepped forward to greet him. "It's a pleasure, Mr. Vargas. I was just getting Feliciano a champagne," Arthur said, handing Feliciano the glass he'd brought over.

Feliciano stepped forward, out of his grandfather's hold, and smiled, taking the champagne and moving to stand by Arthur. "Grazie mille!" he said, taking a sip.

Arthur suddenly remembered- Feliciano was under the legal drinking age, according to his data. "Ah… wait…"

Romulus laughed and reached over to slap Arthur on the back in a friendly (but admittedly rather painful) manner, saying, "Don't worry about it, my boy! Feliciano's in his own home, he's allowed a drink or two. Just don't be getting my grandson drunk, you hear? Now, while you're here, how's your father been?" Romulus was sly and friendly, but it was easy to see where this was going.

Feliciano choked on his champagne, and Romulus looked over in worry. "Are you alright, Feliciano?"

"I-I, ah, si! I just remembered that, uh- I was going to show Arthur the art gallery, and we should do that before the party gets too busy, so…! I'll go show him now," Feliciano chirped, downing the glass of champagne impressively fast before taking Arthur's arm in his and dragging him away. "Ciao, nonno!"

"Ah, alright- er, be careful of the statues!" Romulus called as Feliciano fled with Arthur, looking mildly confused, but still oblivious to Feliciano's attempt at keeping Romulus from wheedling business deals out of the Kirkland family.

"Si, nonno!"

Arthur was startled but let himself be pulled out of the ballroom and down a hallway, Feliciano's hold tight on his arm.

"Er, so where are we headed?" Arthur asked as they walked down the empty hall, away from the party in the ballroom.

"Nn, well, I might as well take you to the art gallery," Feliciano hummed, laughing and then adding, "Sorry about nonno. He's enthusiastic about expanding his influence. I think he's taking it a bit too far, but…" Feliciano shrugged. "If it makes him happy."

Arthur smiled in amusement. "Yes, well. Thank you, I suppose, for rescuing me. I'd like a tour, if you're offering."

Feliciano smiled and laughed. "Of course~!"

Arthur smiled, internally preening over his stroke of luck. He not only got an excuse to explore the manor, but even got a tour from the golden-hearted Vargas himself… He'd be sure to get a good mental map of this place for later tonight. He might even get to get a _good_ look at that golden-hearted beauty.

…And Feliciano was cute, too, of course.

"What's with the guards there?" Arthur asked as they passed a guarded door, although he knew full well why the guards were there.

"Ah, that's the gem room. Nonno's upped security around it lately," Feliciano hummed, although his eyes gave away that he knew more than he let on.

Arthur knew _exactly_ what Feliciano knew- what all the Vargas family must know. Even the party guests must have figured it out, thanks to the police presence on the Vargas estate, guarding it from all angles.

Phantom Thief Grey had sent a note, after all! The whole city knew by now that he was having his heist tonight.

Too bad they didn't realize he was already inside!

"Are guests allowed to look? Or is that where the vault is?" Arthur asked curiously, and Feliciano laughed.

"Nn, well, most people aren't, but… You came all this way just to see the Golden Heart, right? I can't let you see _that_, but I can show you the rest of the gems," Feliciano invited.

"Wait, your family owns gems besides the Golden Heart?" Arthur asked in surprise._That_ was something he didn't know about… Well, he might have to make a few return trips, or see if he could snatch more than one.

"Shh! They're a secret," Feliciano said with a little laugh, taking him by the hands and leading him into the room, the guards letting Feliciano pass only after ensuring that Feliciano was really Feliciano. (Arthur memorized the Italian syllables Feliciano chirped to the guards, including the way Feliciano's voice rose and fell as he spoke them- just in case he decided to mimic Feliciano later on. Easy way in!)

As Feliciano placed his hand on the door, though, Arthur caught the briefest flash- it was so small, he nearly didn't notice it. The moment they walked through the door, Arthur noticed it- there was a barrier here.

Magic.

_Damn_, he thought to himself. So only Feliciano or another Vargas could open that door… He'd have to figure out another way to get into this room, another day.

He almost never did a heist the same place twice, but it looked like the manor would be an exception.

But this meant… the Vargas family knew to use magic. Magic was a rare skill practiced only by a certain few around the world, the users incredibly small in number compared to the general population due to the secrecy of magic's very existence.

The Vargases knew magic- and Arthur was _alone with one_.

This heist was starting to look interesting.

"Nn, they're all locked up safe so that only a few people can get to them," Feliciano explained as he led Arthur through the room of glass cases. There were an amazing number of prize jewels here- how had a collection like this been kept a secret? The entire room must be a treasure trove worth an amazing fortune! "So you can only look, but I think that's good enough, right?"

Arthur nodded, the stunned awe blatant on his face as he looked around. "This collection is incredible!" Oh, but he was impressed for more reasons than one. He was starting to put the pieces together- the way the Vargas manor used magic, the fact that the Vargas children all had those _eyes _with a glow to them, and now, this massive collection of jewels. He looked down at a case that held various gems, and murmured, "I had no idea Romulus Vargas… owned… such a massive collection of precious jewels."

"You paused," Feliciano said bluntly, tilting his head.

"No, I didn't," Arthur rushed, suddenly realizing he'd let his mental accusation slip into his words.

"You did." Feliciano's eyes were sparkling.

"I did not." Arthur's heart was pounding.

"… watch it, Arthur," Feliciano hummed playfully, the most carefully concealed threat in his voice. "Saying things like that… People~ might~ hear~!"

Arthur was getting a sinking feeling about the heist.

Well, this was new.

He hadn't expected that bubbly, seemingly air-headed middle child of the Vargas brothers to drop a veiled threat like that.

(It was kind of attractive.)

"They're beautiful," Arthur praised, to change the subject. Feliciano lit up at that, and eagerly showed him more, chattering away about each of their qualities, seeming to have completely forgotten about Arthur's slip of the tongue.

And so, Arthur got a nice little showing of the gem gallery, on the condition that he not say a word about it to anyone.

Arthur smiled to himself.

_Of course_ he wouldn't tell- after all, he wanted this treasure trove all to himself…

* * *

The clock struck eleven, and the police force stationed all over the estate were getting antsy. Even the party guests were whispering among themselves.

_Have you heard the rumors?_

_It's not a rumor, it's news~!_

_It's true?_

_Phantom Thief Grey will be appearing soon!_

_It's eleven, it's eleven!_

_Oh, do you see him? I wonder if we'll get to see him!_

Arthur smirked to himself, feeling the attention only stroking his ego even more. Well, he might as well give everyone a good show while he was here.

Mere minutes later, the first scream came.

"It's the Phantom Thief! Grey is here!

Phantom Thief Grey was standing atop a chandelier at the apex of the tall ballroom, in a silver tuxedo, top hat, cape, and white masquerade mask. His gloves were white silk, his shoes and tie white, his shirt black. The silver top hat had a black ribbon circling about the base, and through all the black, white, and grey, pierced the color of glowing emerald eyes.

The thief spread his arms wide in a theatrical welcome, making himself known, enjoying the gasps and excitement and fuss that rose up from the crowd in the ballroom. He paced around the rim of the beautiful chandelier, pleased with its sturdiness, the crystal swinging only slightly as he paced.

"Hello, esteemed guests," Grey said with a smile on his face. "It'll be my pleasure to perform for you today."

From this high up, he could see the entire room, and he spotted the ones he was looking for immediately. The Vargases were being ushered out of the room by the police- interesting. After all, the Vargases weren't fighters- were they? Well, they used magic, so he'd have to keep an eye out for them.

Ah, there they go. The grandfather, the brothers, the sisters… All out of the room.

Showtime!

"As my first trick of the night, I'll disappear!" Arthur said with a grin, and with a swish of his cape, the lights on the entire estate went out at once. Screams went up from the party guests, leaving them in darkness- and the lights flickered back on a moment later, showing that Grey had vanished from his perch on the chandelier. More gasps of awe and excited chatter filled the room, the energy creating chaos- perfect for Arthur to escape in.

He'd donned a police disguise and slipped from the room unnoticed, a smirk on his lips.

Now, to get to the vault room.

He slipped about stealthily, silently, avoiding guards and policemen alike.

"Phantom Grey has arrived! Tighten security! There's no way we're letting him into the vault room!" the police inspector barked out orders, gesturing wildly as the men under his command instantly rushed to protect the vault room. The blond-haired man was stern and known for being one of the best police members in the force: Ludwig Beilschmidt.

Unfortunately for Ludwig, Grey had ended up his personal problem.

But with Ludwig ordering most of his men to guard the vault room, all Arthur had to do was join the police officers charging in!

He blended in easily- at this rate, the heist would be a piece of cake.

He watched carefully as he filed into the vault room, looking around and taking note of every detail and angle. Now to just get the vault open…

He hit a button inside his coat and smiled to himself, counting to ten, before he whirled around and pointed to something outside the window. "It's Grey!" he exclaimed in faux shock, pointing out to where there was a silhouette of himself floating away, seemingly holding something in his hand.

"What? Impossible! Something's shining- did he get the jewel?" Romulus asked in panic, while the Inspector Beilschmidt quickly whirled about.

"Mister Vargas! Open the vault immediately! We must ascertain if the jewel's indeed been stolen," Ludwig said urgently, and Romulus rushed over to the vault door and fiddled with all the locks and combinations, even using a hint of magic of his own to open it up. Of course, the magic was completely unnoticeable to the untrained eye- meaning only Arthur caught sight of it.

The moment the vault was opened, though, Romulus let out an anguished shout.

"I-It's…!"

"What's wrong? Is it gone?"

"_It's still here!_" Romulus said next, seeming panicked.

Ludwig, along with the police officers, seemed confused. "What? Isn't that a good thing?"

"No!" Romulus spun around, pointing to the "Grey" outside that was making his getaway. "That means- if this one is still here, Grey's gotten the real one! But how…!?" Romulus was looking shocked, his features painted with panic, as he watched.

"Are you saying the gem in the vault is a fake?!" Ludwig roared, before groaning and barking out his next orders. "Everyone! Outside, after the Phantom Thief! You can't let him get away!"

As the police officers charged out, Arthur slipped aside, mind quick at work with this new information.

So, the vault's gem was fake… Where on earth was the real one?

Arthur shut his eyes, shedding his police disguise, and slipped outside and onto the roof, kneeling down in the shadows as his cape billowed behind him in the night wind.

Data rushed through Arthur's mind as he thought, trying to piece everything together. Where on earth could the real gem be?

The real Golden Heart Diamond…

Images of the entire Vargas family… The three brothers, three sisters, the deceased parents, the only living grandparent… The house, the rooms, the guests, the police force, the gem room, the halls… Conversations, codes, sounds, data, information he'd picked up from so many people throughout the night…

Wait!

That's it!

Phantom Thief Grey smirked and knew he'd have to hurry.

* * *

The balcony doors opened with the softest click, the night wind rushing in and making the person inside whirl about in shock.

The door was supposed to have been locked and sealed with magic… so how…?

Had Grey gotten in?

The darkness of the room was good for hiding, but it seemed that Grey could see through it easily.

"Hello, darling," the phantom thief said, cape billowing in the breeze, as he stepped forward with confidence. "What's a beauty like you doing hiding away here?" he asked with a soft, charming smile, taking the person's hand and kneeling down, kissing the back of it.

Arthur held up his free hand, and in a puff of smoke, a white rose appeared. "For you."

The girl turned a bright red, barely visible in the dim room, but hesitantly accepted the rose.

She was in a loose and flowing dress, the top half white and the skirt red, with a black sash wound around her waist to accentuate her figure. Her hair was reddish-auburn, long, braided over her shoulders in two braids, with bangs framing her face delicately. Her eyes had a little glow to them that Arthur could see easily.

Truly a Vargas.

Beautiful.

Arthur smirked. "You shouldn't hide away like this, you know," he murmured, watching the girl turn red. "I've heard wonderful things about you, love. Your grandfather certainly seems proud of you.

The girl, seeming shy, looked aside. "I-I'm not anything special," came her small voice, her flustered state betrayed by the way she stammered. She wasn't flattered, she was _nervous._

Arthur knew why, and smirked.

"You certainly are. So humble and sweet. You've got a heart of gold, darling, and that terrifies me," Arthur murmured, leaning in close, placing his fingers under the girl's chin and tilting her face up to look at him. "Thieves steal things like that."

But it would still be fun to tease and flirt a little, right? He had the time.

The girl's cheeks turned scarlet- after all, the alluring Phantom Thief Grey had entered her room for some reason, leaning in so close… was he going to kiss her? The white masquerade mask covered his most distinguishing features, but she could still see his nose and soft lips, and his beautiful green eyes…

Arthur was internally grinning like a Cheshire- she was falling right for it!

"So you steal hearts, too?" the girl murmured, her eyes sliding shut.

"If you'll let me, darling," Arthur smirked, kissing her.

What a soft, sweet kiss. The girl was melting right there… success.

"Sorry, love," Grey murmured, as he pulled away and broke the kiss. "But I'll have to take my leave. After all, your grandfather will be here soon. But I just _had_ to get a look at the fabled Vargas Bella," he said, hopping back gracefully onto the balcony.

The girl seemed incredibly flustered, even flattered this time, with her fingers to her lips- at least until Grey added:

"It's a lovely disguise, Feliciano. You can even disguise your voice flawlessly. I could learn from you," Arthur said with a smirk, and the "girl" let out a squeak and stumbled back. "But I can still see right through it. Thanks for the fun."

"Y-You…!" the "girl" choked out in shock, Feliciano knowing now that his disguise had been seen through. "Y-You trickster!" he cried out, still stunned, cheeks a bright red, as he quickly shed the wig.

So it was true, Arthur thought with interest! Arthur vaguely remembered reading something in a tabloid about how the middle Vargas brother had a cross-dressing habit from an amusing misunderstanding in his childhood regarding his childhood music tutor and his other housemaid and caretaker. The tabloids weren't usually very trustworthy, but Feliciano _did_ have a sort of androgynous look to him, and he could pull it off.

It turned out Feliciano _did_ crossdress- but for disguise! Romulus must have told him to hide in this dark room, which meant his hunch was right.

Mere moments later, the police force, Ludwig, and Romulus stormed into the room, the lights being flicked on, and Grey was already crouching on the balcony railing with a grin.

"Feliciano!" Romulus called out as he charged in. "Did he take your necklace?" was the first thing out of his mouth, as he looked at his grandson in panic.

"Too late, you lot," Grey smirked, holding up a golden chain- a golden egg hanging from it. "You can't fool me."

Feliciano gasped, suddenly feeling over his chest. "My necklace! When did you-" Feliciano started to ask in shock, before he turned a bright red and covered his mouth.

When Grey had kissed him…!

"But why my necklace? It's just gold!" Feliciano asked, at a loss, before the Phantom Thief tutted at him.

"Oh, dear, so it was a secret from you too? Why don't you tell him, Romulus, why you're always so insistent that he never lose sight of this golden egg?" Grey said with a sly smile. "And while you do that, I'll take my leave. Ta ta!"

Grey swept off his top hat and took a grand bow as he stood on the railing of the balcony, and as the police rushed forward to apprehend him, Grey vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving the policemen at a loss.

Romulus was left fuming, and Feliciano was left with cheeks burning bright in embarrassment and indignant rage.

"My whole life, you've been hiding the Golden Heart _in my necklace?_" Feliciano shouted in frustration, before he whirled around and pinned Romulus with one rather fierce glare.

Romulus held up his hands. "Now, now, Feliciano, let me explain! It was important that you didn't know it was there- your ignorance to the gem being there was just another measure of protection!"

Ludwig started barking at the old man next. "You fool! Mr. Vargas, if you knew where the real gem was, you should have told us from the beginning!"

"I thought Grey would take the fake! I don't know how he figured it out!" Romulus said in stunned shock.

"If I had known I had it, I would've _fought_ him!" Feliciano snapped back, magic sparking at his fingertips as he tried his hardest to control his temper.

Meanwhile, Arthur walked by casually in the hallway, back in his party clothes, slipping back into the ballroom where everyone was still fussing over the appearance of Phantom Grey.

He patted his chest, where he'd tucked away the necklace into an inner pocket to hide it until he left, and smirked.

_["Ahaha! And so I said, I might have the Golden Heart, but it's Feliciano here with a heart of gold!"]_

"You should be more careful with your words, old man," Arthur hummed to himself, as the party was forced to end due to Grey's successful theft. "They gave everything away, in the end."

And Arthur got to head back to his apartment and hideout without a single hiccup in the plan.

Another day, another successful heist by the great Phantom Thief Grey.

* * *

Arthur hummed as he lounged in his apartment, fiddling with the golden egg.

It was seamless, so he figured that it must need some sort of magic to open it… It might take him a while to figure it out. But Arthur was skilled with magic and alchemy alike, so he'd be sure to open it within a week at most.

So, all this time, Feliciano Vargas had been the one unwittingly guarding the Golden Heart…

Of _course_ an eccentric man like Romulus Vargas would entrust the Golden Heart to the grandson _with_ a golden heart.

Feliciano, however, turned out to be an unexpected bonus. The cute Italian made a beautiful bella, and yet looked rather dashing in a suit and tie as well. But despite how clever Feliciano might be, Arthur was still able to disarm him with a bit of charm… Maybe Feliciano had a thing for Grey, considering how easily he stole a kiss from him.

Arthur smirked.

Maybe, if the Golden Heart wasn't what he was looking for, he could have some fun when returning it.

The TV was on, playing the news, the anchorwoman reporting on yesterday's heist.

"…Grey has managed to outmaneuver the city's police force yet again, leaving onlookers baffled as to how he managed to discern the true location of the gem. It was revealed that not even the keeper of the jewel was aware that he was in possession of it! Will Grey stay true to his usual patterns and return the jewel? Or will this be the one he decides to keep?"

Arthur hummed.

He'd have to wait and see.

But maybe if he went back, he'd get a chance to steal some gems from the jewel room…

After all, they couldn't report those gems as stolen, right?

Since they'd already been stolen a long time ago.

"I wonder, Feliciano, do you know that your grandfather was the great Phantom Thief Rome?"


	2. Seduction

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Warning, there is a sex scene here, and as usual, I've marked it off with the / mark.**

**Review replies: **

**Nekki: I have considered writing AmeIta, actually! The issue is I can't think of a storyline that suits them yet, so for now, that pairing will have to wait. Anyway, I hope re-reading it helped you get it better. Thanks for the review!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Arthur was rather pleased with himself to be able to open the egg after only two days of fiddling with spells and possible magic lock combinations, and lo and behold, the Golden Heart lay within.

He pulled out the jewel carefully, admiring it.

It was a heart-shaped diamond with a golden hue, and it glittered in the light from his lamp. But to see if it was what he needed… He went over to his balcony, out under the moonlight, and held it up, looking through the crystal curiously.

If it was the Pandora, it would be red, but if it was the Magatama, it would shine blue.

Pandora, a mystical jewel rumored to spill tears that granted immortality if presented to the moon during Volley's Comet.

Magatama, a gem claimed to grant whoever uses it on a solar eclipse one wish.

But he looked, and the Golden Heart simply glittered gold.

This gem didn't contain either.

* * *

There was a business formal a few days later, and his father was hosting it. The Vargas family had been invited, although Feliciano seemed reluctant to be there, avoiding people and brooding off to the sidelines. Unusual, considering how he was a social butterfly most of the time.

"You all right?" Arthur hummed, offering Feliciano a glass of wine.

Feliciano looked up in surprise, startled, and took the glass. "Grazie. Ah… si, I'm fine, just…" He trailed off, appearing to want to sink back and melt into the wall.

"I heard about the theft," Arthur said next, with sympathy. If anything, he knew how to play innocent around his victims.

"Hasn't everyone?" Feliciano suddenly groaned, his free hand covering his reddened face in shame. Arthur picked up on a quiver in Feliciano's voice, though, and his eyes widened.

Feliciano was obviously stressed over the whole thing- he'd been blamed as much as his grandfather for letting the gem be stolen away. On top of that, too, there was the added stress of realizing he'd been responsible for the loss of a jewel worth _millions_… It looked like Feliciano was understandably upset.

_Shit._

Arthur took Feliciano's wrist, gently pulling his guest out of the crowded ballroom of the Kirkland manor, and into a quiet library, or a study- Feliciano couldn't quite tell which it was. But it was cozy, organized, old in a refined way, and peaceful. There was even a small fireplace and a couch before it, to settle and rest on.

"What…?"

"You're not alright," Arthur murmured softly to his guest. "You can rest here, if you don't feel like dealing with the social formalities tonight. Alright? If anyone gives you trouble, tell them I gave you permission to be here," he said next. Feliciano looked stunned, looking up at him with wide eyes, before he downed the entire glass of wine he had in his hand and set it down on a table.

"Grazie," Feliciano said with genuine gratitude, falling back onto the couch and cradling his face in his hands. "This whole mess has just been… humiliating."

Arthur felt only slightly guilty.

"What's happened? I've only heard rumors, you know," Arthur asked, sitting down beside Feliciano.

"I- the whole time! The Golden Heart's been hidden on _me_! And I didn't even realize it! I'm such an idiot- if I'd just figured it out sooner, maybe I could've protected it…! And it was worth _millions_, and it's all my fault we've lost it! My nonno's business stocks have plummeted because of the loss, and Ludi's furious that they lost Grey because of nonno not telling them the truth about where the gem should've been. And just…!" Feliciano rambled on, before he suddenly gave a strangled sound of frustration and falling back onto the arm of the couch, hands over his face.

Arthur had a feeling that Feliciano was likely still upset about the kiss as well, but Feliciano probably wasn't going to tell a soul about that.

"I see… I'm sorry you have to deal with that," Arthur placated. "But, hey, look on the bright side. Grey has a habit of returning what he steals, right? Maybe you'll get it back soon."

Feliciano's eyes narrowed then, and he scoffed doubtfully. "But what if he _doesn't_? He's a trickster, a no-good thief! He's having _fun_ making fools of everyone, I know he is! He's a _jerk_!" he huffed, looking more and more worked up now, his face reddened in growing anger. "He might end up keeping it!"

Arthur's eyebrow twitched as he tried to keep his façade up. He never did get used to people insulting his other persona… But it was part of the job. "He's an odd one, alright. I wonder what his real goal must be- it'd be strange to have a goal as simple as 'humiliate people', don't you think?" Arthur asked, trying to calm Feliciano down. (And also trying to defend his own honor a bit.)

Feliciano bit his lip. "Well, no one knows what goes on in that guy's head. So… who even knows," he murmured, sighing and deflating. "Either way, everything will fall apart if that gem doesn't come back."

"I heard he managed to break into your room, too. Was it scary?" Arthur asked next, trying to derail the conversation to something hopefully more fun. Now he was pleased with himself- he always found it so _fun_ to play innocent and listen to his victims tell their versions of their encounter with the elusive, enigmatic Grey.

Feliciano suddenly turned pink. "N-No… Just. Overwhelming. He's…" Feliciano trailed off, made a frustrated sound, his hands curling briefly in the air into fists, and then sighed. "He's a real magician, all right… knows just how to distract people."

Arthur internally smirked.

"Oh? What did he do?" He tried hard not to let that smirk slip into his voice.

"None of your business…!" Feliciano suddenly replied, flustered. He looked away, and Arthur couldn't keep his lips from turning up at the corners after that.

"Oh, that makes me curious," Arthur teased, looking amused, raising an eyebrow at his guest. "It sounds suspicious, you know. People might start gossiping about what you two were up to."

"You're not getting anything out of me!" Feliciano said far too quickly, before taking a pillow from the couch and bopping Arthur with it. "So quit suggesting ridiculous things!"

Oh, so it was _ridiculous_ to think of "having fun" with the thief? Ouch, Arthur thought in mild amusement, not truly too bothered.

Arthur_ was_ startled by the pillow though, his eyes widening in surprise on impact. What a childish move… but it was terribly cute. Laughing, he shook his head, before humming, "You're acting like a kid."

He was rewarded with another bop over the head with the pillow.

"Alright, alright! I get it!" Arthur chuckled, hands up in surrender, enjoying the way Feliciano's cheeks were puffed out and red with indignation, his lips in a pout. "Do you always act like this at formal events? You weren't like this when you gave me that tour."

Feliciano huffed and hugged the pillow instead of using it to whack Arthur again. "It's fun to show people around my home. But it's not fun being stuck at a party when everyone's talking about how much a failure you are."

"I'm sure no one's saying that, Felici-"

"I _heard_ them!" Feliciano interrupted him, his voice scathing and bitter, before he quieted and bit his lower lip. "I heard all of them. I'm not going back in there. I'll just make a bigger fool out of myself _and_ my family if I end up picking fights with anyone." He was sulking now, glancing at his empty wine glass, looking much more angry. Arthur could pick up on the traces of Feliciano's magic, sparking around him in response to his quiet rage.

Feliciano _really_ didn't like his honor and pride being wounded like this, and it looked like he really was ready to lash out at the next person who dared call him incompetent or irresponsible.

Arthur fell silent.

Ah… he was starting to feel bad. At least he was bringing the gem back today. It wasn't the gem he was looking for, after all.

Arthur stood and stepped towards the door. "Well... I should get back. I'm one of the hosts, after all," he said, before turning back to look at Feliciano as he opened the study door. "Feel free to stay here as long as you like. Help yourself to reading whatever's on the shelf."

Feliciano's irritable expression faded away, and he smiled at Arthur with sweet and genuine gratitude and trust, eyes shining. "Grazie mille, Arthur. Sorry for that."

"No, no, it's understandable. I hope things work out."

Oh, yes, that was definitely guilt stabbing Arthur in the chest.

* * *

11:00 PM.

The grandfather clock in Feliciano's room started to ring, and Feliciano sighed as he stared at himself in the mirror, dressed up in the same dress from before, wig on as well.

His disguise was usually good enough to fool people… But Grey had managed to tell it was him instantly. Well, he shouldn't have expected anything less from a master of disguise himself. He settled down in a chair in front of his vanity, and opened up a makeup case, fiddling with the wig on his head.

"Maybe it'll be more believable if I start using make-up," Feliciano murmured with a soft sigh, cheeks red as he remembered the kiss he'd gotten from the charming, but cunning, thief. "I shouldn't have fallen for it. Nn… What a rotten trick," he snapped to himself, really tempted to punch Grey in the face if he ever got the opportunity.

Beside the makeup case, was a thin, small vase containing the single white rose that Phantom Thief Grey had conjured for him, and a bit of water to keep it alive as long as possible.

Despite Feliciano's frustration with the thief, it seemed he still had _some_ fondness for him. (Which was entirely irrational and Feliciano _knew_ it, but he could indulge in some fantastical daydreams now and then, right?)

"You look lovely as you are, darling," came a familiar voice, and Feliciano squeaked and scrambled up, nearly knocking his chair over as he whirled about, flustered and quickly taking his wig off and placing it on the vanity behind him.

"You… what are you doing back here?" Feliciano asked, tensing up as he faced Grey, eyes narrowing. "I'll- if you're here to steal anything else, I'll stop you myself this time!" Feliciano threatened, stepping forward with his hands up in an odd but distinctive fighting stance.

His fingers were curled into "claws" on one hand in front of his chest, the other hand outstretched flat with palm facing and outwards towards Grey, while one of Feliciano's feet moved back as a brace, preparing for a recoil of some kind.

Arthur recognized it instantly- the stance of a magic-using martial artist.

It wasn't surprising, that Romulus would teach his grandchildren both magic and self-defense. With all of them being Romulus's successors, they would always be in danger of possible assassination or kidnapping attempts. It was important they know how to defend themselves, in any way possible.

Grey smiled, before taking a knee and taking off his hat, holding it to his chest. "Now, now, let's not be violent. You know my motto- 'No one gets hurt.' I'm here to return what I've taken," the thief said, his mask still covering the upper half of his face, keeping him hidden away.

Feliciano's stance relaxed, and he seemed confused. His feet padded lightly across the rug on the marble floor, to avoid slipping since he was wearing stockings, as he approached the thief. "Is that so… so it wasn't one you wanted, in the end."

"Sadly. It wasn't what I was looking for," Grey explained.

"Is that why you always steal and then give it back? Because you're searching for something in particular?" Feliciano asked curiously, eyes still narrowed with suspicion.

"That's all you'll get out of me. The rest of my goal is too dangerous to tell a soul about," Arthur hummed, a gloved finger over his lips, eyes glinting in the dim light from Feliciano's vanity lamp.

Feliciano didn't seem satisfied with that, and murmured, "Give me one reason I shouldn't call for help right now. Or better yet, just knock you out."

Arthur stood and stepped forward. "Well, if you do that, then you won't get your heart back, will you?" he asked with a sly smile, hinting at a peek of a gold chain- the one to Feliciano's necklace. Feliciano suddenly froze, remembering the family heirloom and treasure, and held his tongue. He must have looked rather miffed about it, because Arthur quickly tried to placate Feliciano by taking his hand and bringing it up to kiss the back once more. "That wasn't a threat, darling, you don't have to look at me like that."

Feliciano huffed. "I can look at you how I want," he mumbled, but he ended up turning pink when Grey kissed his hand, regardless. Grey only gave a soft laugh against his hand, before he stood up and pulled Feliciano close, wrapping an arm around his waist. "What are you-" Feliciano started to ask, body tensed and prepared to lash out and strike, before he felt the thief intertwining their fingers, taking him into a dance position.

That music- when did it start playing? Who'd turned the radio on?

Feliciano turned redder still. Oh, of _course_ Grey must've done it while he wasn't looking.

"Shall we dance?" Grey murmured softly, a smile on his lips. The soft, sensuous quality of his voice made Feliciano relax and give in. What harm could a dance do?

…maybe he shouldn't think about the answer to that, considering his track record with the thief.

A waltz was playing from the radio, soft and gentle, the night breeze wafting into the dark room from outside. Besides the dim lamp on the vanity, which barely illuminated even just the vanity, there was no light but what moonlight shone through the glass of the windows and balcony doors.

As the thief led him through the waltz, Feliciano went along with it, letting the man pull him close against his body, and secretly enjoying the warmth of Grey's body. He eventually relaxed and rested his head against Grey's shoulder, and wondered if this was just some strange dream.

Phantom Thief Grey had come to his bedroom near midnight, just to give back his necklace and dance with him?

"Why are we dancing?" Feliciano murmured as Grey led him around the room and balcony, giving him a twirl once in a while on the right beat. "If this is another trick to steal something from me, I'll tell you right now that I have nothing else worth stealing," he said next, somewhat bitterly. Grey chuckled lowly into Feliciano's ear, making him shiver.

"Now, now, darling, I'm a thief with some honor. I would send notice before another heist of mine, you know that," Arthur said rather smugly, before listening to Feliciano give a little huff. For all of the Italian's apparent protests, Feliciano was still letting himself dance, and his cheeks were a beautiful pink. "This is just for fun."

"You make it sound like there _is_ such a thing as an honorable thief."

"Isn't there?" Grey hummed next, into Feliciano's ear again.

"Quit that," Feliciano squeaked again, turning red and trying to hide his reddened face into Grey's shoulder.

"Quit what?" Arthur teased, purring into Feliciano's ear and relishing the shivers he coaxed from the man in his arms. Oh, tonight might be fun after all- Feliciano definitely was responding to him in all the _right_ ways. "I'm just talking with you- or do you not enjoy the dance?"

He'd stopped now, pulling Feliciano closer and lowering his hands to Feliciano's hips, pressing their bodies together very purposefully and smirking down at the Italian.

Feliciano was scarlet, eyes wide in slight surprise and confusion, and his body was heating up and responding to the thief's sensual words and touches. There was a noticeable bulge forming in the front of his dress, making Feliciano bite his lip as he tried to turn away and hide it- this could _not_ be happening. He turned, his back now to the thief, but Arthur wound his arms around his waist and pulled him back against his chest gently.

"Don't be bashful," Arthur murmured gently. "I'm just here to return your necklace, after all." Feliciano felt the warm and loose hold around his waist move up, and the next thing he knew, Grey was putting his necklace back around his neck. Feliciano reached down, feeling the familiar weight of the golden egg on his chest and neck again, and relaxed. It was definitely the same necklace…

He'd really brought it back!

Grey's arms were around his waist again, and Feliciano was pulled close against Arthur's chest, feeling the thief's hips pressing forward against his own. This hold was really intimate…

Feliciano was a bright red still, trying to hide the fact that this was really, unfairly arousing him.

_Fuck_ Phantom Thief Grey.

No, really.

_Fuck him _and his stupid _smirk_ and his _voice_ and the way his hands moved _unfairly _over his body.

Why the hell did this thief have to be so… so…!

"You're certainly free to say no, love, but…" Grey started, a hand moving down from Feliciano's stomach to tease the tent he could very clearly see in the dress. "I think I could take care of this for you," he purred, palming the bulge and watching as Feliciano gave a soft gasp and quivered, leaning back against him. "Of course, I've done what I came here to do, so I could leave, if you'd prefer."

Feliciano felt so incredibly _conflicted_. Most of him really just wanted to take the opportunity to have some fun with the alluring thief touching him, but another part of him was worrying over "_What if we get caught? Isn't this wrong?"_

And then, of course, the rest of him just wanted to deck Grey in the face. Hard. But that would be turning down sex, and Feliciano wasn't one to turn down some fun once in a while.

Regardless of his inner turmoil, he felt strangely safe- and even with Grey's arms around him, the thief practically with complete access to his body to harm him if he so chose, he didn't feel trapped or forced. Grey's hold around him was loose, his voice soothing and playful, not aggressive.

He really wasn't threatening him, was he? Not at all.

It was just some flirting (albeit very forward flirting) and an offer for some good-natured fun...

…so maybe there was such a thing as an honorable thief?

Feliciano made his decision, going _fuck it_ in his head before he turned around and grabbed the thief's face, pulling him down into a kiss- which admittedly startled Grey quite a bit.

But Arthur went with it, smiling against the Italian's lips before taking control of the kiss, pushing and guiding Feliciano back towards the bed. When their kiss finally ended, Feliciano was flustered and catching his breath, and the thief let out a breathless laugh and a smile that was so unfairly charming Feliciano nearly kissed him again. "Bold, aren't you?" Arthur teased, before dipping his head down to kiss Feliciano again, this time nudging him and guiding him onto the bed. As they moved, Grey removed his gloves and tucked them away.

Feliciano was surprised and felt his heart fluster at the way that Grey had seemed so honestly pleased with his reciprocation- it felt nice, to know they both wanted this.

What a strange situation…

The worst part was, there's no way Feliciano could share this story with anyone! It'd have to be his dirty little secret, in the end.

Not that Feliciano minded.

Feliciano was pressed down onto the mattress, being kissed rather passionately the whole way down, feeling the thief spreading his legs apart and running a hand up his stocking-clad legs. He shivered in eager anticipation- he couldn't believe this was happening!

/

Arthur's fingers moved up, his eyebrows lifting up in surprise behind his mask, as he purred, "You go the entire way with the disguise, don't you, Feliciano? Even wearing lace and garters like this…" Feliciano turned a bright pink, feeling the thief's crafty fingers teasing over the bulge in his lace underwear, rubbing and toying as Feliciano squirmed and panted, giving soft gasps of pleasure. The underwear was the type that tied at the hips- so with a simple tug at the bows on either side, and Feliciano would be bare, the garterbelt and stockings still safely in place.

"For your information, I _like_ wearing these," Feliciano asserted, shameless, squirming a little as he felt Grey's fingers running over the bulge in the lace. "A-Ah..."

"Is that so? Well, I suppose I should compliment you on how lovely it looks on you," Arthur hummed in reply. He made quick work of the lace, pulling it off and aside once he'd untied the sides, his lips leaving Feliciano's to instead start nipping down and along his neck. Feliciano was making unfairly enticing noises now, moaning and quivering beneath him as Arthur lifted up the skirt of the dress even further, spreading Feliciano's (very lovely) legs to settle down between them.

Some other thieves would've scolded Arthur for his recklessness- it was risky, incredibly so, to seduce one of his heists' victims.

But, what's life without a bit of risk and excitement?

Feliciano was open and wanting at his touch, and the thief could see how the Italian man beneath him was eager, even his nipples perked up in blatant arousal and poking up against the fabric of the dress. Arthur reached up and pulled the neckline of the dress down, enough to expose one, and leaned down to suck and nibble on one teasingly, making Feliciano gasp and arch his chest forward as he moaned and trembled.

_So you're sensitive here..._

Grey was smirking around the bud for just a moment, before the hand between Feliciano's legs resumed its activity, cupping Feliciano's balls and massaging them, teasing him with the slightest bits of attention, before his fingers finally moved up to wrap around the aching, swollen shaft of his cock, and start pumping along it firmly. Feliciano bit his lip and gave a needy whimper, trying to keep himself quiet- after all, he _really_ didn't want to get caught. Even if his room was somewhat soundproofed, and his brothers' rooms were down other halls, he didn't want to risk _anyone_ hearing evidence of their little escapade.

And Arthur was just as worked up, his own erection straining against his clothes, and he was quick to unzip his pants and pull his cock free from the restraint of his boxers. He gave a soft sigh as he shifted, the hand around Feliciano's cock letting go to instead fetch a small bottle from one of Arthur's pockets- lube.

Arthur was quick and efficient, as a practiced magician should be, and slicked his fingers in lube before lowering his fingers between Feliciano's legs and pressing at the entrance, circling it and making Feliciano gasp softly at the cool touch of lubricant. He might be taking it a little fast, but he was a little rushed, after all. A thief never should stay in one place too long.

"Relax, love," Arthur murmured before taking Feliciano's nipple back into his mouth, and relishing the way Feliciano's breaths became ragged with each little suck and nip. He slipped the first finger in, and Feliciano's fingers curled into the sheets beneath him at the sensation, before he started to cling desperately to the cloth as the thief slipped in one more finger, thrusting and pumping his fingers in and out, stretching and spreading him open as he added a third and started to curl them, searching for his partner's prostate.

"E-Easy for you to say..." Feliciano panted back, giving Arthur a bit of sass even during sex. Arthur was rather amused by this, and simply kept his focus on his fingers' work, trying to find that sweet spot inside Feliciano that would get him to stop fussing and start falling apart instead.

He found it not long after, watching as Feliciano's toes curled in the white stockings, his back arching up as Feliciano's hips gave a little buck. The Italian under him gave a muffled, but still desperate cry of bliss, and Arthur smirked in smug satisfaction. "Quiet down a bit, darling, or someone might hear you," he teased, watching in delight as Feliciano turned even redder and squirmed, shooting him a flustered but still put-out kind of look.

Feliciano glanced down, catching a good look at the thief's cock, and internally noted two things. One, he was going to have a lot of fun tonight. Two, the thief was apparently a natural blonde. Interesting.

Blond hair, green eyes, the shape of Grey's jaw and lips… Something about what he could see of the thief rung bells in Feliciano's head, and even his voice sounded familiar, but he was quickly distracted by another well-placed thrust of Grey's fingers.

_Dio, he's good with his fingers_, Feliciano thought in a brief daze, before he felt Grey's mouth leave his chest, the hand at his dress neckline letting go to instead rest on his hip. He watched with a lustful, half-lidded gaze as the thief between his legs grabbed his hips and lifted them very slightly- and then Feliciano felt Grey pressing into him, slowly, carefully, but smoothly.

Feliciano gave a low moan, and let go of the sheets to instead try and cling to the thief's suit- and to his delight, Grey leaned forward to accommodate him, wrapping one arm around Feliciano's waist while the other hand stayed on Feliciano's hip.

It was an oddly intimate position, but Feliciano wasn't thinking about that now, instead just wrapping his legs around Grey's hips and holding on tight, burying his nose into the thief's neck. Feliciano caught the scent of tea and roses, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what kind of tea- he preferred coffee, after all.

But he didn't linger on the scent long, instead just quivering and taking a few ragged breaths as he felt the other man fully hilted inside of him, filling him with pleasant warmth that made Feliciano give a low sigh of bliss, shutting his eyes and holding on a little tighter to the thief's body.

Feliciano gave a little gasp and then a moan as he felt Grey start thrusting, rocking their hips together over and over again. Once the thief settled into a rhythm, Feliciano felt each thrust striking his sweet spot and making him arch his back in bliss.

"More, more!" He gave little gasps and cries of ecstasy, moaning and panting, clinging tight to the man above him. Grey was strong and sturdy, the man's lips marking up his neck insistently but playfully, and Feliciano let him get away with it because _dio_ it felt amazing.

(He could just wear a scarf tomorrow if he really needed to hide the marks.)

"I'll give you plenty, darling, be patient," Arthur teased, purposefully holding back and keeping his steady and moderate pace, only speeding up once he heard Feliciano give a needy and desperate moan, nails clawing a bit harder at the back of his coat.

Then, he really started to speed up, pumping his hips hard and not letting up, determined to really get his new partner worked up and weak with pleasure.

Feliciano could feel his own aching cock throbbing and aching between their bellies as Grey continued to thrust into him, and _oh_, every thrust made Feliciano's body _sing_ with pleasure, the tip of his shaft dripping with precum more and more as they went on. His nails dragged again over Arthur's back, down, leaving tiny scratches on the back of Grey's suit as Feliciano's fingers kept moving over his back again and again.

He bucked his hips, meeting Grey's thrusts and unraveling beneath the thief, still in his dress and the thief still fully clothed- and they barely saw an inch of each other from the waist up but right now they just wanted to sate each other's lust and curiosity.

(Arthur was getting a _very_ good look, however, at Feliciano's legs, and he was definitely appreciating the sight.)

It didn't take long for Feliciano's entire body to begin visibly quivering beneath Arthur's, and the thief smirked. "Don't tell me you're already close, darling," he purred, nibbling at the Italian's earlobe.

Feliciano turned a beautiful pink and _whimpered_, so desperately close that he was clinging to him a bit tighter. "I-It's- aah~! It's been a while-nngh…! S-So just don't stop-" he panted and demanded between moans and gasps of pleasure, his ankles locking tighter behind the thief's hips just to make sure he'd keep going, and not pull away.

Arthur smirked a bit more, feeling incredibly pleased with himself, and sped up, relishing the mewls he was getting out of the writhing Italian beneath him. Feliciano was so wonderfully vocal- oh, but he had to do something about that, or he'd get the whole house's attention.

"Hush, love, we don't want anyone getting worried about you," Arthur teased, before pressing his lips to Feliciano's and catching the moans into his mouth, the sounds effectively muffled as they shared kiss after passionate kiss. Feliciano was eager, returning the kisses enthusiastically, almost sweetly, and for the briefest of moments, Arthur felt curious as to how deep the other man's attraction to him ran.

But soon enough, he was right back in the moment, just enjoying himself, feeling Feliciano's soft lips beneath his and his arching, willing body moving in rhythm with his thrusts.

Despite how close Feliciano had seemed earlier, he held himself back, as long as he could. He relished and savored every last thrust against his prostate, shivering and moaning against Grey's lips, feeling his throbbing cock dripping precum onto his own belly, his dress hiked up around his hips and entirely ruffled. He could hear their clothes rustling against each other, and the sound of skin hitting skin with each thrust, and he felt the thief's powerful hold and warmth around him.

Grey felt himself getting dangerously close to the edge soon enough. Feliciano felt incredible around him, and Arthur was struggling not to lose it himself with how Feliciano's beautiful reactions were only sending more jolts of arousal right down to his already aching cock.

They barely lasted another minute before Feliciano's hips suddenly bucked, the Italian giving a sharp cry of bliss as he spilled streams of white seed all over his abdomen and dress in a rush of heat, but he didn't care right now about the mess because it would wash out.

And because, much more importantly, he had an unfairly attractive Phantom Thief inside him.

Arthur watched in smug satisfaction as he saw Feliciano climax beneath him, but he wouldn't last longer himself, because _god_ did Feliciano get tighter around him when he came. A few more shallow thrusts and Arthur was climaxing too, and Feliciano could feel how the thief's body tensed and shuddered as he released, giving a low moan of his own.

/

They were silent for a minute, just panting and catching their breaths, Feliciano still clinging tightly to Grey before his grip eventually loosened. "Messy, aren't you?" Arthur teased, noting the streaks of white on Feliciano's body and his dress, and Feliciano turned scarlet.

"Your fault," Feliciano was quick to retort, before shivering and giving a soft inhale as Grey pulled out of him. "Ah…"

Arthur was quick to clean himself up and straighten out his clothes, before leaning down over Feliciano and kissing his cheek. "Thanks for the fun, Feliciano."

Feliciano was the perfect picture of post-coital bliss, still spread over the sheets with his chest heaving, face and body flushed a cute pink, eyes half-lidded in satisfaction. His dress was still a rumpled mess from their fun, his stockings a little ruffled, and even Arthur's outfit had gotten disheveled (not that he didn't quickly fix himself up).

But with that, Arthur pulled away and slipped off the bed, stepping towards the door.

"Leaving just like that, then?" Feliciano murmured playfully, looking wonderfully pleased and sated, a small smile on his lips. He wasn't surprised Grey was leaving, although he was a bit disappointed. He was the type who liked to cuddle after sex and enjoy some flirting and pillowtalk, but he'd be silly to expect anything like that from an elusive and mysterious Phantom Thief.

"I should head off for now. I've things to take care of," he said, before giving Feliciano a little bow. Feliciano sat up, adjusting his dress to cover up his legs (a pity, Arthur thought, his legs looked fantastic), and caught his breath, before saying something.

"What was… this?"

"A bit of fun, that's all. Hopefully you enjoyed yourself? Most do."

Feliciano suddenly looked irritated, the blissful expression gone in a moment. "Do you make a habit of bedding everyone you steal from?"

Grey's smile was wicked.

"Why? Don't tell me you're jealous." To be fair, Arthur in fact did _not_ do this often- not as Grey, anyway. This was the thief's first escapade, but not Arthur's. But Feliciano didn't know that!

"Who would be jealous? You're just a thief!" Feliciano quickly responded, cheeks burning.

"A thief you let _fuck you_, darling."

Feliciano was mortified and fuming, and chucked a cushion at the thief, who simply stepped aside to avoid it with a little chuckle.

Why hadn't he punched him when he had the chance? He should have punched him. And torn off that mask, while he was at it. And stunned him. And used a few hexes.

But _no_, he'd just _had_ to give in to seduction and let the thief get away to steal another day.

...he could still throw a hex at him, Feliciano thought, and he raised a glowing hand, making Arthur laugh and step back.

"Now, now, no need for that. I'm on my way out- and I was teasing. Truly though, it was a pleasure. I'm rather glad- if I had to choose anyone to take a risky gamble with, it would be you. Take better care of that heart, Feliciano," Arthur said, stepping out onto the balcony, and then the railing.

Feliciano turned a bright pink. So was he really the only one Grey had seduced like this?

But was Grey lying?

"You still haven't given it back yet," Feliciano said after a moment with a sigh, melodramatic and almost playful as he played with the golden egg hanging around his neck.

Grey turned and raised an eyebrow, not that the mask let it be visible. "Haven't I?"

Feliciano remained silent, and it dawned on the thief.

Arthur gave an exaggerated sigh, clearly just putting on a show. "Oh, darling, you really should be careful with hearts. If you let someone steal it, they might break it, you know."

Feliciano huffed and looked away. "Blame the thief, not the owner."

Arthur only smiled slightly before giving a spin in his cape, and vanishing.

Feliciano stared into the empty night sky for a few moments, before he set to cleaning himself up.

The radio was still on, playing classical music, his treasure was back around his neck, and the white rose remained on his vanity in its little vase.

Feliciano gave it a bit more water.

* * *

Feliciano showed his grandfather the egg when morning came, and his grandfather checked the contents immediately to be sure the gem was still safe.

It was definitely the real Golden Heart- so Phantom Thief Grey had returned it, after all.

But since the whole fiasco had let the entire world know that Feliciano wore it around his neck, Romulus decided it would be better to hide the gem away somewhere else.

Feliciano sighed, feeling the familiar weight around his neck gone. Romulus noticed his grandson's disappointment and discomfort, and rubbed at his chin with a hum.

"What is it, nonno?"

"Well… I know it wasn't your fault the gem got stolen. I should've told you about it," Romulus said. "So, if you'd like, we can get you something else to wear."

Feliciano tilted his head curiously.

"Go pick a gem from the gem room- but you know what to do if someone asks where you got it."

"Aheh, si. I bought it from a private collector." Feliciano had learned not to question the gem collection by now, although he had a very strong suspicion about where they all came from.

"Good boy," Romulus praised with a laugh, ruffling up his grandson's hair.

Feliciano was delighted, and quick to dart into the gem room, and once there, he perused all the jewels until a thought hit him.

_I wonder which one Grey would come after…_

Feliciano smiled slyly and picked a large emerald to wear around his neck, the gem nestled right into the little dip between his collarbones on a silver choker.

What better bait for a gem thief, after all?


	3. Heist

**A/N: Shameless self-promotion, aha- if you like this fic, feel free to share with others! Now that the fic's got an M rating, it's harder for people to find it.**

* * *

"In other news, the esteemed Zwingli family has received a Phantom's note this morning, threatening to claim their family treasure. The Zwingli family is known for having made their fortune through both security affairs and banking, so if any of us know them, they're going to have the compound under the highest levels of security imaginable! I wonder how Grey's going to get through it, don't you?"

The chipper voice of the newscaster caught Feliciano's attention, and he turned his head towards the TV curiously.

"The date and time is set for the Zwingli family gala- unsurprising, as Grey is known for holding heists at grand events. In attendance will be some of Hetalon's most influential families, including the Vargases, who were victims of a heist just last month…"

Feliciano sulked at little at the reminder.

"The target for this heist seems to be the Zwingli's most prized jewel heirloom, the Rose Diamond. The Rose Diamond is a world-famous pink diamond set into a platinum brooch, bought for the family's youngest female descendant, Lili Zwingli…"

Feliciano tuned out the rest of that report, wondering how he should go about this party.

* * *

Feliciano was currently dancing with Lili Zwingli herself, admiring the pink diamond brooch over her heart. He waltzed with her and made amiable chat- the two had been friends for a few years, despite the bad first impression he'd made on her older brother Vash.

(Vash was still watching him like a hawk, even from the sidelines.)

Feliciano himself was still wearing the emerald choker, and it made for a good topic of conversation, comparing their jewels. The choker came in sharp contrast to his black suit, but he'd made it work by wearing an emerald tie and keeping the same color handkerchief folded in his breast pocket. His shirt under the suit coat was a pale green, adding to the theme.

He was fashionable, after all, and Lovino wouldn't have let him out of the house if he didn't make it work.

Lili's brooch was perched right over her heart, pinned to the collar of her very cute and lacy white and pink dress. The girl looked like a doll, honestly, despite the fact she was already fifteen and working her way up to adulthood, but beautiful still. She'd cut her hair short recently, attempting to mimic her brother's hairstyle and make herself look a bit more mature- but she was still so small and young-looking that it didn't help much.

Just as his first dance with Lili had ended, Feliciano was surprised to feel a tap on his shoulder.

"Ah! Arthur?" Feliciano chirped, recognizing the man.

"Hello, Feliciano. May I cut in?" he asked, gesturing to a now blushing Lili.

"Of course- but you better be kind," Feliciano teased with a wicked grin. "Make my little sorella upset, and I'll come after you."

"I'll refrain from that, don't worry," Arthur hummed back in mild amusement, before taking Lili's hand and giving her a soft bow, then dancing with the girl and chatting away with her.

Collecting information was vital, after all. If he could figure out even the most minor of details, it could help him get that brooch off of her, and that gem would be his.

Grey was already plotting the best way to get this gem.

But when the dance ended, Vash ushered Lili away for some errand or other, and Arthur gave in to the temptation to go chat up Feliciano some more, noting how the man was enjoying some of the wine at the table. He seemed to be enjoying a bit of solitude- something odd for the social butterfly.

"I'll join you," Arthur said as he sat down in the empty seat beside him. "I haven't seen your siblingss today," he commented, glancing around the room.

"Oh, they're all dancing. Nonno, too," Feliciano hummed, gesturing out to the ballroom floor, filled with people. "How are you? I haven't seen you since that last incident," he murmured, turning a bit pink at the reminder of how he'd been hiding away in Arthur's study for most of his family's party. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"It wasn't a problem," Arthur said, waving his hand dismissively. "And I'm alright. Just dealing with the usual formalities," he hummed, looking a bit sour before taking another drink from his own glass. Feliciano laughed at that, before giving him an amused look and a raised eyebrow.

"You seem like such a gentleman sometimes, but other times you seem like this grumpy loner," he teased, swirling his wine in the glass as he gave Arthur another sidelong glance. To his delight, Arthur turned a bright red and sputtered briefly, looking incredibly flustered before he replied.

"I am most certainly a gentleman! I'm just not always in the mood for these sorts of events," he huffed- although to be honest, if he was a bit on edge tonight, it was because he knew that the Zwingli compound was incredibly high-security, and that Phantom Thief Grey would have quite a bit of trouble trying to pull off this heist.

"Si, si, whatever you say," Feliciano hummed in amusement, before setting down his glass. "So… say, what's your older brother like?" he asked after a moment, glancing over a few tables to where the Kirklands were seated with some other guests.

Arthur felt his mood sour again. "Which one?"

"The red-headed one- I think his name was Alistair?"

"He's a prat," Arthur said far too quickly, making Feliciano laugh.

"Really now? He was awfully sweet to me the other day. I'm kind of fond of him," Feliciano chirped, and with the brief gaze he aimed at the oldest Kirkland, it became very obvious what "fond" meant.

Arthur felt inexplicable jealousy simmering in his chest.

"_Him_? Sweet? I think you're mixing him up with someone else," Arthur said next, glowering at the table and nearly snapping the neck of the innocent glass in his hand. "He's not the kind type, even on a good day. Even on good days he's gruff and rather unsociable- he's all business."

"No, it was definitely him," Feliciano said with a very assured nod, before noting Arthur's tension. "You seem awfully worked up," he commented and Arthur looked aside.

"I'm not worked up," Arthur grumbled, and Feliciano grinned.

"You are! You're acting like a jealous-" and Feliciano suddenly stopped, cutting himself off as his expression changed, eyes suddenly steeling as they looked over Arthur analytically. Feliciano's head gave a slow tilt.

"Feliciano? Are you alright?"

Feliciano snapped out of it. "Si! I'm fine, sorry," he chirped, before laughing again and leaning heavily on Arthur. "You're acting jealous~!"

Arthur turned redder still, and stammered, "Don't be daft, why would I be jealous of that thick-skulled brawler? He hasn't got anything I don't! And quit that, get off." With that, Arthur tried to push away the Italian leaning on him so insistently, perfectly aware of how Feliciano was just trying to get him even more riled up (and it was working, to be honest).

While Feliciano was close, he took note of Arthur's scent.

Tea and roses.

Feliciano tucked away that note and continued his banter with Arthur, enjoying the passing night.

"A brawler? He definitely looked pretty tough, he had a lot of muscle definition on him," Feliciano chirped, eyes twinkling a little as he glanced back over at Alistair, giving a little purr. "Maybe I could get him to model for a painting." He looked moments from saying something that went from flirtatious to outright lewd, and Arthur cut him off before Feliciano had the chance.

"You're ridiculous," Arthur said in response to the sound, scarlet, and Feliciano just laughed. "Don't even dare. I do not need that image, either mentally or in physical form."

Feliciano grinned and moved onto a new topic. The gala had been nice so far, the evening's dinner being uneventful, and everyone was secretly watching the clocks for when Grey had been noted to arrive. But a half hour before the set "arrival" time, everything went wrong.

The moment the patrons suddenly started to fall unconscious, dropping everything and slumping against the walls, in their chairs, or onto the floor, Feliciano shouted.

"Knockout gas!" he screamed, and in an instant there were his brothers and sisters spreading through the room, hands moving in flowing but forceful and fast movements, their magic forcing away the gas and creating safe spheres until Lovino traced the sources and sealed them off. He looked around, and saw that Arthur was still conscious as well, his own hands moving with magic at the tips of his fingers.

It hadn't been just the Vargases, no, some of the Kirklands and Zwinglis and other families' members were up and aiding their efforts. All the magic users in attendance were now up and alert, eyeing each other warily in suspicious confusion.

Only magic users were still awake!

What was going on? Why would Grey knock out the guests? He was one to put on a show, cause a scene- so why would he-

Feliciano suddenly realized what this was.

Someone was trying to _filter out_ the magic users.

Someone was trying to find _Grey_ before he could even make his appearance.

Someone _else_ was trying to get the jewel tonight, and trying to beat Grey to it.

His eyes scanned the room, looking over everyone in the room.

Lili was conscious still, being kept close behind her protective brother, while the Kirkland brothers were fanning out across the room, the Vargas brothers doing the same. Some of the guards were still conscious, anxiously looking around the room, and there were others wondering if they should flee or wake their companions, or lie low.

Arthur was internally cursing.

With so few people up and conscious, for him to disappear now would be far too conspicuous. He was thinking of escape plans, ways to slip away and become Phantom Thief Grey before returning to the room- he could tell what was going on here.

Someone was after him, and unless he could find a way to distract thenemy party present, everyone's lives here were in danger.

Well, fuck.

"We need to get out of here," his older brother Alistair said. The man was tall, slender but very muscled, with a shock of messy red hair on his head. His eyes were the same emerald green as his brothers', and his gloved hands were twitching with magic just barely being held back. "Whatever's knocked everyone out is out to get all of us still awake. They're filtering out the magic users," he announced to the room, loud and clear. "So, if all of you don't want to die, I suggest you all bolt for an exit- _now_."

And with that, Alistair's hand suddenly swept up and then slammed down, and black smoke burst from his hand and filled the room.

There was a panic and a scramble, and those who were still conscious left.

Arthur was incredibly glad that his brother's method of handling things had gotten him a very good opportunity to slip away.

In minutes, Arthur had escaped and undergone his quick costume change, getting right to work.

Lili was being ushered along by guards and her brother to a safe place, and on the way, Vash quickly turned to her, saying, "Is the gem safe, Lili?"

"Yes, bruder, it's alright," Lili said, running her fingers over the platinum frame of the brooch.

"Good, I'm glad," Vash said, his tone still a bit gruff. "That you're safe, as well, I mean," he added, with a bit of an awkward cough, which only made Lili smile, soothing her nerves. "Hand it to me, I should get it somewhere safe. If it stays with you, you'll be in danger," Vash instructed, holding out his hand.

Lili unpinned the brooch from her collar, and held it out, and just before she pressed it into Vash's hand, there was a shout.

"Wait, Lili, don't! That's not me!" came Vash's voice, from down a hall to their left. Lili looked over in shock and confusion, seeing her brother running down the hall in blatant panic.

She turned her gaze back to the Vash standing beside her, who gently took the brooch from her hand and glared at the Vash coming towards them.

"Bruder?" Lili asked nervously, eyes shifting between the two men who looked identical in every way.

"Lili, stay back," the one closest to her said, putting an arm in front of her and nudging her behind him protectively.

Suddenly there was smoke, and Lili couldn't see.

"Damn it!" Vash cursed as the smoke cleared, spinning around and trying to locate his doppelganger.

The man who'd been at Lili's side was gone.

Grey had gotten his gem.

* * *

The party guests had started waking up, and the guards all over the Zwingli property were in a frenzy, trying to calm the guests and keep everyone confined to secure areas, while the magic users were all being rounded up by the very strict Zwingli security staff. Not only that, but the police force was on the scene as well, working together with the private Zwingli security force, and poor Ludwig Beilschmidt's nerves were being fried.

People soon started to notice the absence of some of their companions, and started wondering where they'd gone- but of course, all the magic users were fanned out over the building, cautiously keeping guards up and trying to figure out what to do next.

Feliciano stepped into the foyer, a huge room with walls of glass and two grand staircases that led up to other floors of the compound- but Feliciano was more interested in looking outside. There was something hidden in the trees… Just as he squinted and realized he was seeing the glint of moonlight off a gun, he heard a gunshot and the sound of shattering glass from two different directions, and Feliciano threw up his hands in an attempt to put up a magic shield.

Two bullets bounced off the shield but caused it to shatter in the process, and Feliciano cursed as he heard more shots being fired. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to get out and still protect himself!

Just as he threw his hands up to conjure another split-second shield, he felt someone tackle him from the side, out of sight from the glass room, and behind the security of a hall wall.

Feliciano nearly stabbed the person tackling him, but he caught the scent of tea and roses and calmed down.

"It's you," Feliciano breathed quietly as he slowly sat up, trying to straighten himself out as he stole a quick peek around the corner. He could see two men hidden far off in the trees surrounding the compound- oh, they were going to snipe down the other wandering mages at this rate! Gritting his teeth, Feliciano ignored the thief beside him and reached into his coat, pulling out metal pieces and putting them together swiftly.

Phantom Thief Grey, who had tackled Feliciano to safety, only huffed. "What kind of greeting is that, love? Ignoring me like that," he tutted, as he pocketed the necklace that had been around Feliciano's neck moments earlier. "…is that a_sniper rifle_? You have a _gun_?" he exclaimed suddenly, as Feliciano assembled the firearm in question and then got low to the ground.

"Of course I do. 'No one gets hurt' is _your_ rule, not mine," Feliciano responded before rolling out from the cover of the hall and firing several shots out the already shattered ballroom window.

There was an audible thud from the forest outside.

Arthur wasn't sure whether to be grateful or terrified, because the person he'd initially appraised as a kitten turned out to be more of a lion.

So, Feliciano must have taken down at least one of the shooters outside judging from that thud, and Arthur watched cautiously as Feliciano tried to aim for the second.

Shots rang out, and suddenly Feliciano's blood was on the floor, and another thud came from the trees outside.

Grey's eyes widened, and he rushed forward when he saw another red light dancing over Feliciano's skull, threatening a final shot.

There were _more_ shooters.

Feliciano was clutching at a bleeding shoulder, struggling to pick up his dropped rifle with a shaky hand, and just as the third shooter's gun went off, Grey wrapped Feliciano up in his cape and put up a shield.

It blocked the first few bullets, and it bought Grey enough time to pick up Feliciano's gun and carry Feliciano back to the safety of the hall.

"There's more," Feliciano groaned, leaning back against the wall as he clutched at the bleeding wound. Panting, he added, "I have to get rid of them, before they get anyone else- dio, I don't know if they've already gunned down the others…"

Arthur's eyes widened. His brothers, and the other magic users- if they were trying to find _him_ and killing every magic user as a preemptive strike, then…

"I have to go, love," Grey murmured, standing up.

Feliciano looked at him in shock. "Don't tell me you're-"

"The faster they think they're rid of me, then the faster everyone else will be safe. Besides, I have to make my getaway, even if it's earlier than I'd planned," Grey said to him, before murmuring, "And you should get to somewhere safe, don't bleed out."

"If you get shot-"

"I won't, Feliciano," Grey said, a wicked grin on his face, and Feliciano wondered what he was going to do.

It was only after Grey vanished that Feliciano realized two things were missing: his gun, and his emerald necklace.

Feliciano cursed.

_Fuck_ Phantom Thief Grey.

* * *

Alistair was the one to find Feliciano staggering back to the main ballroom, outfit starting to soak with his blood. When Feliciano passed out, Alistair caught him and carried him back to his anxious siblings and grandfather, and Lovino looked ready to murder.

"Who the fuck were all the shooters outside?"

"Well, they weren't Grey, that's fer sure," Alistair huffed, lighting up a cigarette and ignoring the way Lovino shot him a glare for it. "They were after him."

"Where is the silver bastard, then? He should take responsibility for this and get these shooters out of our hair!" Lovino growled, as he started to tear off Feliciano's clothes, trying to get a better look at the bullet wound. It was bad, and had hit a large blood vessel from the looks of it, so Feliciano was getting light-headed and passing out every few minutes. "Hey, Feli, wake up! What happened?"

"Trying to shoot down the gunmen," Feliciano mumbled in a daze as Lovino started cleaning up his wound. "They got me, obviously."

Feliciano's injured appearance had only scared the other guests in the ballroom, but the guards were keeping every inside where it was secure, and no one could be injured or singled out, adding to the growing panic in the room.

"Where's your gun, idiota?" Lovino snapped next, anxiety staining his words.

"Grey has it," Feliciano mumbled, and the people around him froze. "I think he's going to go take care of the rest of the gunmen for us."

"…is he?" Lovino mumbled warily, unsure of this. Alarms were going off in his head for a number of reasons- one of which was that Grey was known for his dislike of violence during his heists.

Then again, someone had threatened him and his audience, so Grey probably had a very good reason to go after people who would shoot at innocent guests.

Suddenly, another guard stormed in, bellowing, "It's Grey! He's been seen flying away, but he's been shot down!"

Feliciano shot up.

"_No_," Feliciano whispered, feeling Lovino push him to sit back down and rest. "He couldn't have been…" He looked around the room anxiously, listening as the guard continued.

"And the gunmen outside have all been found shot- if they're not dead, they're certainly incapacitated, so we're all safe. But to ensure that no one gets hurt, we're going to wait until Inspector Beilschmidt gives the all-clear to leave the building," the same guard finished, and the tension in the room started to dissipate. "Any deceased gunmen are being take away to be identified, the living ones are being given medical treatment. Hopefully we can get more information out of them once they're turned over to us."

Feliciano was putting the pieces together- granted, he was only going off of hunches and small details and coincidences that could easily be completely irrelevant, because after all, Phantom Thief Grey was a master of disguise.

But the picture the pieces were forming just didn't make _sense._

But why would Grey make the effort to look like _Arthur_, of all people? It's not as if Feliciano was especially close to him. Was it maybe just a clever way to divert suspicion? If Grey had really done his research as he claims to, then he would've_known_ that Feliciano would know of Arthur- and with Feliciano trying to identify if Arthur was Grey, it could throw Feliciano off Grey's real trail.

Oh, this was so convoluted and confusing! He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, and thought. They both shared the scent of tea and roses, with natural blonde hair and vivid green eyes- and Grey's mask had always blocked off his eyebrows and cheekbones, as well as the majority of his upper face, actually, so the most identifiable bone structures in his face were obstructed. But the more Feliciano tried to remember, the more he realized how the curve of their lips was the same, the shape of their jaws, and the tone of their skin- but again, all these physical traits could all be disguises. Even his voice…

Even their voices sounded so alike…

But out of the corner of his eye, Feliciano saw Arthur standing with his brothers, and he felt a sigh of relief.

It couldn't be Arthur, right? Grey had taken off and gotten shot down, supposedly, but…

Feliciano was still worried about the thief. He knew he shouldn't be, but he was a tiny bit attached, and a little concerned to go with it.

Speaking of Arthur, Feliciano saw the man making his way over to him.

"Feliciano? What's happened?" he asked in what seemed to be genuine concern, making Feliciano question his own judgment as he cautiously and carefully sat up, wincing.

"I got shot by one of the gunmen," Feliciano murmured, before swatting at Lovino's hand. (Lovino was trying to get him to lay back against the wall again and rest.) "But I think I was the only one to get shot, thank goodness…" he murmured, before leaning back against the wall as he sat, looking rather tired. He was stripped down to the waist now, so Lovino could try and get at the wound.

With a medical kit provided by the Zwinglis, Lovino went through the process of pulling out the bullet in Feliciano's shoulder (a process that made Feliciano gasp and cry out in brief moments of intense agony, clinging to Arthur's arm), before cleaning the wound and stitching it up.

"I'd probably be dead if it weren't for Grey, though," Feliciano mumbled aloud, and Lovino hummed.

"Least the bastard did something right," Lovino said under his breath as he wrapped bandages around Feliciano's torso and shoulder to cover the wound and support it. The moment Lovino was done, the older brother pulled Feliciano into a tight hug, ignoring the fact that they were very much in public, and clung to his brother. "Idiot… don't pull stupid stunts like that without backup," he scolded, before pressing kisses into Feliciano's hair.

Arthur watched from the sidelines as the two brothers calmed each other down after the chaos of the night, and breathed a soft sigh of relief.

He hadn't been able to keep Feliciano from being shot, but at least he'd stopped him from being killed.

Unfortunately, someone on the enemy side had survived and seen the whole thing, and now they thought they had a way to lure the thief out.

Just as Arthur walked away, though, Feliciano noticed the tiniest spots of red seeping through the man's dark jacket, and his eyes widened.

Arthur had been shot, too- but he was hiding it.

Why would he hide it?

Only if…

* * *

**A/N: And that's that chapter! **

**Thanks for reading!**

**Please share and review~!**


	4. Discovery

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, school is absolutely awful and I haven't been getting any sleep at all, let alone have time to write, so I forgot to update this. Please accept this chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Arthur, I know you're in there, Alistair told me this is your private apartment," Feliciano said loudly as he knocked on the door to the (admittedly rather luxurious-seeming) apartment. This building was inhabited by the rich and famous, and Feliciano himself had considered getting an apartment there soon enough, but that wasn't what Feliciano was scouting around here for.

The door opened and Arthur gave Feliciano a tired look. "What on earth are you doing here? Not that I have an issue with you, but most people call ahead. And was wheedling the information out of my brother really necessary?"

Feliciano stepped inside and shut the door.

"First of all, I didn't _wheedle_ the information out of him. I asked him and he was more than happy to talk to me and answer my questions. Second, I want my necklace back," Feliciano said, holding out a hand expectantly. "And third, take your shirt off, because you probably still have bullets in you because you're too stubborn to get help!"

Arthur's eyes went wide for the briefest of seconds, before he stepped back and gave Feliciano a quizzical look. "What are you going on about?"

Feliciano looked unamused. "You know exactly what I'm going on about, and I just want my necklace back, _Grey_," he huffed. "I doubt it's what you're looking for. And I said take your shirt off, you're still bleeding, aren't you? Idiota!"

"Is that a medical kit-?" Arthur stammered as he went to the door, bolting it for privacy before following the angry Italian into his living room. "And don't just barge into my apartment!"

"Are you going to let me get the bullets out of you, or what?" Feliciano huffed, shooting him another irritated look. Feliciano looked rather upset, likely by a huge number of things that Arthur could easily list off, and Arthur only nodded in dumbfounded shock before unbuttoning his shirt and revealing the bandages all over his torso.

"There's, ah. One in my leg, too," Arthur admitted, and the moment he said that, Feliciano gave an exasperated sigh and pushed Arthur to sit down on a sofa.

"You're an idiot."

"How did you figure-"

"I'm _not_ an idiot. I saw the signs, and I don't forget a lover."

It was Arthur's turn to light up red, as Feliciano took off Arthur's pants too, to get to the wound on his thigh.

"You're very observant," Arthur said, wincing as Feliciano unwound all the bandages from around his body and set to pulling out the bullets.

"I can't believe you were going to leave these bullets in here!"

"I was going to get them out eventually!" Arthur snapped. "I just needed to gather up a bit more magic to pull them out, a day more of rest and I would've had them out just fine!"

"It's _dangerous_ to leave them in! You're lucky none of them look infected yet," Feliciano scolded, pulling out all the bullets none-too-gently and stitching up each wound of entry.

"I _said_ I would've been fine, now come off it! It's only been a day!"

Oh, Arthur just hadn't anticipated Feliciano being this persistent, or this clever. Sleeping with the man would become his downfall, at this rate.

Feliciano re-wrapped the now cleaned and stitched wounds in clean gauze, and then proceeded to sit down across Arthur and stare him down. "So where's my necklace? And Lili's brooch, for that matter?"

"Hidden somewhere safe until I can return it."

"Well, I'm here, so return mine," Feliciano insisted, and Arthur's expression turned sour again for a brief moment.

"You're entirely ruining the fun."

"What, were you planning something?"

Arthur turned scarlet. He _had_ been, actually, he'd hoped to use the return of the choker to have another little rendezvous with Feliciano. Amusingly enough, that was the reason Feliciano had worn the necklace in the first place, but now that he knew _who_ Grey was, he just felt a bit more betrayed.

Arthur was right, finding out sort of ruined the fun.

"It doesn't matter if I planned something or not _now_," Arthur replied, looking a bit more irritated with how his identity had been discovered. He had many questions racing through his mind: How much did Feliciano know, and had he told anyone? Could he fight Feliciano off, could he erase his memories? How could he get Feliciano back where he should be before the knockout spell would wear off? Was there a guarantee that erasing his memories of the night at the Zwingli compound would erase Feliciano's knowledge of who he was?

The questions never seemed to stop, and he was getting a headache.

"So, what now? Are you going to out me? Out that 'trickster, no good thief' you seem to hate so much?" Arthur sighed, leaning back against the couch, before smirking. "Although, for all that talk, you certainly seemed to enjoy yourself in bed, darling."

Feliciano turned scarlet and fumed. "Y-You…! Don't tempt me, I might just go and do that right now! I'm sure I could get Ludi to ransack this place if I manage to tell him I've found you wounded like this. And you said you wouldn't get shot! But you got shot _three_ times! How did you even manage?"

"First of all, the thing riddled with bullets was a decoy. When all those snipers crowded around my supposed body, I used your rather lovely gun to take them out, but not before they caught on and managed to give me a few last shots during their dying breaths," Arthur explained, "So to be fair, you have to give those gunmen a bit of credit for their determination."

Feliciano seemed unamused, but calmed down a little as Arthur continued.

"And somehow, I get the feeling you're not going to go running to that policeman best friend of yours," Arthur hummed, tilting his head at Feliciano in a small challenge. "Are you?"

Feliciano turned pinker still and wanted to look aside, but he knew better than to take his gaze off the phantom thief.

"I just want to know _why_," Feliciano asked.

"What, that night in the bedroom? I just thought it'd be nice to have a bit of fun-"

"No, not _that_!" Feliciano groaned in exasperation, nearly putting his face in his hands. "Why are you doing _this_?" Feliciano asked, gesturing in the air to make a general sweep of the room. "Why go to such lengths just to steal jewels you'll more than likely just return, anyway?"

Arthur held his tongue.

"I really can't tell you, darling," Arthur murmured, the air of playfulness gone and instead replaced by something more somber and sincere. "It's too dangerous for anyone to know. You've been through enough already," he added, pointedly eyeing the spot on Feliciano's shoulder where he'd been shot by one of the snipers at last night's event. "And you nearly got murdered twice before that, as well."

Feliciano's eyes narrowed. "Who _were_ they? You know them, don't you?"

Arthur sighed. "They're after the same things I'm after, except they'll stop at nothing to get it, as you've already seen. I don't know them personally, but they know Grey's a threat to their goals, so they usually try to ambush me to steal whatever gems I've gotten. They expect me to do all the dirty work of getting past all security and stealing the gems, and then expect me to give in without a fight when they try to steal my spoils from me."

Feliciano raised an eyebrow. "But you always return things, wouldn't they just go after the gems then?"

"No. They know by now that if I've given it back, it's not what they're looking for."

"So you would definitely keep it?"

"I have to."

Feliciano only had more questions to ask, but he knew that the thief sitting across from him was just as paranoid and wary of him as Feliciano was of Arthur at the moment, so he held his tongue and thought, being sure to keep an eye on Arthur's crafty fingers. He knew that even the subtlest movements of Arthur's fingers could craft a spell of some sort, and he didn't want to risk being caught off guard.

What questions would Arthur answer?

"Haven't you considered… not doing everything on your own?" Feliciano asked softly.

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I could trust anyone else not to betray me? How could I know someone's motivations for helping me were pure? With something like this, I can't risk it."

"What do _you_ intend to do with it then, when you get it? Whatever 'it' is."

"Protect it. Hide it away. Destroy it, maybe. One I have to send to someone I trust to be destroyed, but the other… well, maybe I'll just destroy it, too," Arthur mused, suddenly looking distracted, in deep thought.

Feliciano felt his mind whirring. It sounded like Arthur was talking about some kind of weapon, or something dangerous? What harm could a _jewel_ possibly cause? He'd have to go do some research on jewel-related lore…

"So what do you plan to do with me, then?" Feliciano asked next, crossing his legs and leaning back in his seat on the couch, folding his arms as well with a tilt of his head.

"What?"

"I know who you are, so surely you plan to do _something_ about it," Feliciano said, getting straight to the point and watching Arthur warily, his body still tensed and poised to defend himself at a moment's notice.

Arthur was silent for a moment, and hummed. "Well, it's like I said. You're certainly not going to tell anyone, are you? You're much too curious to lock me up before you get answers," Arthur said, his lips curling into a small smirk, eyes glinting with the mischief and smug satisfaction of having information others did not.

Feliciano fumed and turned a bright red, and looked aside.

"Who knows, maybe you'll be useful," Arthur added, incensing the Italian before him.

"Don't treat me like a tool! And speaking of tools, what did you do with my gun?" Feliciano asked next, suddenly remembering how Grey had taken his gun to use it against the gunmen hidden among the trees around the Zwingli compound.

"Calm down, it's safe. It's with everything else, I was going to return that too," Arthur sighed next, looking bored now since his fun had been spoiled, his identity revealed. At least he could still keep the wool over everyone else's eyes, even if Feliciano had figured it out. "I'm still surprised you're the type to keep guns, love."

Feliciano turned a bright pink again and huffed. "I have to know how to defend myself and those around me. Especially people in our positions… you've had to deal with unruly people too, haven't you?"

"Yes, but I usually can do the job without a firearm," Arthur replied with a cocky smirk, and Feliciano resisted the urge to punch him, only because Feliciano's shoulder was still healing from that bullet wound, and he knew Arthur was still recovering from several of his.

Neither of them needed anymore bleeding.

"So are you giving back my things or not?" Feliciano asked impatiently, and Arthur hummed.

"Eventually. Not right now."

"Why not now?" Feliciano looked sour, still pouting and frustrated.

"I can't let you see where all my things are, Feliciano, you know that. Besides, I've got an act to keep up! I'll return it to you when Grey goes out again in a few days," Arthur said, still looking smug, and _oh_ did Feliciano want to punch him. (And maybe grab him by the collar to kiss him, but that was another matter.)

"You're awful," Feliciano said flatly after a moment, and Arthur's smirk just got a little wider.

* * *

Feliciano had been puzzling over Arthur for days. To his utter confusion, Arthur had done nothing to him. No memory spells, no attacks, just a bit of question dodging and ushering him out the door, and a tiny bit of flirting.

Arthur trusted him to keep his secret. How strange.

To his credit, Feliciano _hadn't_ told a soul about his discovery, but mostly because he himself was still too curious to risk getting Arthur caught before he could figure out what this big secret mission or goal of his was. He didn't seem like a bad person, and he always made a point to ensure the safety of the innocent- so his desire to keep the knowledge of the goal away from Feliciano in order to protect him…

It meant that he was handling something dangerous, something he didn't want anyone else to get hurt with.

What he still didn't understand was how a _jewel_ could cause such a danger… Surely criminals were after massive gems like these all the time, right? So what made the jewels Arthur was seeking so different?

He was jolted out of his reverie by an arm looping around him from behind, pulling him back against a sturdy chest as another hand offered him another white rose.

Feliciano turned scarlet, not from flattery or embarrassment, but at the sheer irritation he felt towards himself for having let his guard down enough to let Arthur slip into his room.

_Again._

"You're not winning me back over with a rose and your costume, Arthur," Feliciano muttered, more annoyed still to hear Arthur chuckling behind him.

"How about these, then?"

Feliciano felt cold metal being pressed into his hand, and he looked down to see his gun- and as he looked down, he saw his emerald necklace back around his neck, too.

"…getting there," Feliciano conceded with the smallest of relieved smiles, getting up and worming his way out of Arthur's hold to disassemble and put away his gun, along with the necklace. He made a point of completely ignoring the Phantom Thief until he'd finished putting things to his liking.

(He realized a moment later that somehow the thornless rose had ended up in his hair, and he had no clue when that happened. He was _really_ letting his guard down far too much.)

"How do you know you aren't followed when you come here?" Feliciano finally addressed him, turning and sitting down on the edge of his bed, folding his arms a little.

Arthur was in full costume, silver-clad with his mask in place, and he seemed slightly insulted at the question. "I'm the craftiest thief in the world and you think I can be so easily _followed_?" he replied, folding his arms over his chest as he regarded the man in front of him, only to wince and let his arms fall to his sides again.

His wounds!

"Idiota! You shouldn't be sneaking around injured like this," Feliciano scolded, reaching out with his uninjured arm and pulling Arthur over to sit in one of the lounge chairs in his bedroom, quickly running his hands over where he knew the wounds were just to be certain Arthur wasn't bleeding.

"I'm- Feliciano! I'm fine, stop that, you'll just make things worse," Grey fussed at him, trying to push his hands away and looking a bit insulted. "Like I said, I can manage just fine on my own, so quit treating me like a child."

Feliciano clicked his tongue, and muttered sarcastically, "Si, because I make a habit of pulling bullets out of children."

Arthur couldn't even think of a response to that.

"Now, while you're here," Feliciano murmured, grabbing Arthur by that pearly white tie and pulling him closer. "I think we should discuss some things." The hold on his tie was firm but not threatening, and Arthur wasn't sure if Feliciano was about to threaten him or invite him to bed.

(He hoped for the latter.)

"I want you to do something for me, and you're going to do it."

Grey raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"I want a public apology."

* * *

Arthur wished he'd seen this coming, because he had _known_ that it had been too easy to say no.

Far too easy, because Feliciano didn't seem bothered when he refused, and they proceeded to go right to bed- oh, but he should have _known_.

_Known_ not to trust the Italian snake.

And here he was, standing in his fathers's office with his brothers, watching them all try to figure out why it was that the Vargas corporate empire was encroaching on their territories and properties, their stocks and assets.

"What would cause him to do this?!" Their father boomed, hand gesturing to the screen behind him where the details were displayed. "I know that old man can be wily and unpredictable, but we've done absolutely nothing to cross him- and we're not even particularly doing spectacularly well right now, either, so there's no reason to want to takeover! So! Who's responsible for this? I know it's one of you, who is it?"

Arthur felt a cold weight settle in his chest as he very reluctantly raised a hand.

Oh, the earful he got was enough to have his brothers grinning for days.

* * *

The next formal dinner, hosted a single day later, had one Feliciano Vargas as a very important guest, and Arthur Kirkland personally went to go fetch and entertain him for the night.

But before he started wining and dining, and speaking to other guests, he grabbed Feliciano by the wrist and pulled him into his study down the hall.

Feliciano said nothing, only smiled like a cat who had gotten the cream, looking entirely too smug about the situation.

"You little _snake_," was the first thing Arthur hissed at him, and Feliciano purred, completely unperturbed by the way Arthur pinned him against a wall.

"I told you I wanted a public apology~" Feliciano said, and his voice was nearly a sing-song, taunting, delighted with how his little plot had gotten a lovely reaction from the thief.

"And what do you expect me to do- to _say_?"

"Oh, an 'I'm sorry for stealing your family's gem' would be a nice start," Feliciano laughed. "And then maybe an 'I'm sorry for taking advantage of the situation, and for stealing your gun, and your necklace, and making you worried sick-' or something-"

And Arthur huffed. "You know very well I can't say that last part in public, or that middle part, or- Wait."

Feliciano was still laughing, and Arthur wanted to punch him as it dawned on him.

"You never wanted a _public_ apology."

"Nope~"

"You just wanted an apology." Arthur's fingers twitched.

"Si~"

"And to rile me up." Arthur's fists were clenching.

"Got it!"

"And get me the most _horrid_ scolding any authority figure in my life could manage." Oh, he was livid.

Feliciano's face lit up. "Did I get you scolded? Oh! It's like a cherry on top!"

"You-!" He lifted a hand to punch him, but Feliciano kissed him first and completely disarmed him, his rage fading away in favor of befuddlement and the much stronger desire to kiss him instead of hit him.

This stupid, reckless, petty, manipulative _snake_ was…!

Was…

Was currently wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him deeper, pressing his body right up against Arthur's.

Fuck this Italian and his seduction. Two could play at this game.

(The Kirkland clan wondered where it was that Arthur and their special guest had vanished to, but they'd figure it out someday or another.)

* * *

"Is sex your go-to strategy for getting yourself out of trouble?" Arthur hummed as he lay naked under the sheets, Feliciano in his arms resting after a few rounds of fun.

"No, I just do it to distract you," Feliciano laughed breathily in reply, nuzzling into the man's chest and enjoying the way their bodies were tangled together under and in the sheets.

"Distract me?"

"Ludi's probably ransacked your place by now," Feliciano hummed with a lazy stretch.

"…_what_?"

"Joking, joking~"

It didn't make Arthur feel any better in the slightest. If anything, it just made him more aware that he really shouldn't be trusting Feliciano.

Or letting him into his bed.

…but damn it, he was fantastic in bed.

"Cross me and I might kill you, love," Arthur murmured in response, nuzzling into Feliciano's neck and nipping a mark into the skin.

"I'd like to see you try…" Feliciano laughed back, before giving a soft moan and shiver as Arthur marked him up. "I bet everyone's wondering where you've disappeared to."

Arthur suddenly shot up.

"The party!"

"Did you really forget?"

"How long has it been?" Arthur asked next, scrambling out of bed frantically as he glanced at the clock. It'd been a little over an hour and a half, so there was still time for him to make it back to the party and socialize with everyone. "Damn it- Feliciano, you little…!"

Feliciano only laughed and stretched in Arthur's bed some more, completely relaxed and sated. "It was fun, though. And it was fun to mess around with you beforehand, too. If it makes you feel better, I'll back off your company's territory now."

"So it _was _you." Arthur sounded less than amused as he straightened himself up and got dressed, trying his best to make himself look as if he hadn't just been having wild sex with a guest for an hour and a half.

"I thought that was obvious, caro."

"Would you get out of bed, already?"

"I can't, Artie. My hips are sore and you were rough."

"I-I…! How can you be so blunt?!" Arthur was scarlet now, fully dressed and cleaned up, and now he was trying to straighten out Feliciano's clothes in the hope that Feliciano would actually get out of bed and rejoin the party. "If you won't go back to the party, then go home."

"How rude," Feliciano said with a pout, slowly rolling over before gingerly sitting up. He got up and walked slowly to the adjoining bathroom to clean himself up with a washcloth, and then begrudgingly got dressed, with Arthur's help. To his surprise and mild delight, Arthur helped him straighten out his suit and did his tie for him, dusting him off a bit and helping him straighten out his hair a little more. Feliciano couldn't help but laugh, murmuring, "You're so very fussy when you're out of costume, caro."

"Quiet, you," Arthur grumbled, as he swept some of Feliciano's hair out of his face, and then gently brushed a thumb over his cheekbone. "Imagine the scandal if we were caught. I have to be fussy."

"Oh, let them talk," Feliciano whined softly after a moment, before tiptoeing and kissing Arthur right on the lips. "I like you and we have fun together in bed sometimes. What's so bad about that?"

"A lot of things, in their eyes," Arthur murmured, a bit pink in the cheeks from that kiss, but not unpleased. "Come on. You go out first, I'll follow out after a minute or two- what are you doing?" he suddenly asked quizzically, as he watched Feliciano patting his own pockets.

Feliciano flashed a grin at him. "Making sure you didn't steal anything, tesoro."

Grey only smirked.

* * *

After that, their trysts became a bit more frequent, and Arthur couldn't help but feel rather proud about the fact. He'd gotten himself a rather cute lover, an interesting one who kept him on his toes.

Sometimes Feliciano would come visit him at his personal apartment, other times, after a successful heist, Grey would slip into Feliciano's bedroom and seduce him all over again. But it never got boring, and the two lovers were more than pleased with their sex life.

And Feliciano was interested in the pillow talk after those heists, because sometimes he could worm little bits of information out of the mysterious, secretive thief.

"You always come by so late, tesoro…"

"Can't help it, love. Have to take roundabout ways to make sure I'm not followed… Can't risk putting you in danger, too."

"I wonder what those guys at Lili's gala wanted…"

"Same thing I do, love, I thought I told you."

"No, you haven't," Feliciano protested softly, because Arthur wouldn't tell him _anything_.

"Just a gem, darling. Nothing more than fairytales and myth and maybe some money for the jewels."

Feliciano knew that was a lie, but even so, he decided to do more research on gemstone lore.

He'd found something after poring over many old dusty books in his library, but it sounded too outrageous to be the thing Grey was after.

After all, a gem that could grant immortality? A gem that could grant wishes?

It sounded just like fantasy and daydreams, like-

Like…

Like myth and fairytales and the perfect way to deflect suspicion from the people who had interest in them.

Were these gems what Grey was after?


End file.
